COMMENTARY

THIS new study provides the long-awaited answer to an important question: should healthy older people take aspirin?

Highly effective in controlling pain and fever, aspirin is something of a wonder drug. It’s also the most widely used preventive medication, known to reduce the risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke – and also, as has recently emerged, cancer.

But against these benefits must be weighed the danger of significant complications, specifically gastric bleeding – it’s a risk that must not be taken lightly.

If you’re over 70 and otherwise well, the message is that the risks of gastric bleeding outweigh the potential benefits of daily aspirin for cardiovascular health.

If you’re already taking the drug, don’t just stop – but talk to your GP as there may be good reasons they want you to have it.

However, if you’ve been diagnosed with

heart disease or have a history of mini strokes, there is well-established proof that the benefits outweigh the risks.

For those in between – who have risk factors, such as obesity, high blood pressure, or simply a worrying family history but who’ve not been diagnosed with heart disease or stroke – taking a daily aspirin as a preventative should only be done after careful consideration, with medical advice. Aspirin is not a panacea.